Spraying apparatus



June 2x7, 1950 c. R. s'rRlcKLAND 2,512,782

SPRAYING APPARATUS A Filed sept. 28, 1945 Patented June 27, 1950 UNITEDSTATES vPATE-Nr OFFICE SPRAYING APPARATUS Claude Roscoe Strickland, St.Petersburg, Fla. Application september 2s, 1945, sel-iai No. 619,095

This invention appertains to improvements in spraying apparatusgenerally, and more particularly to a power driven type of suchapparatus, especially designed for dispensing liquids, such as oil,larvacide, insecticide, etc., over large areas of the countryside, forthe control and destructwn of insect pests.

An object of the invention is to provide an airliquid centrifuge for theabove stated purpose, which may be direct or indirectly'driven by asuitable prime mover, to effect a, wide distribution of such liquids ina mist, the neness of which being dependent upon the operating speed ofthe centrifuge. l

Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of aspraying device of this kind, wherein a plurality of hollow radial armsare employed to produce the desired centrifugal force to eect thedistribution of the air-liquid emulsion, the inner ends of the armsyconnecting with a hollow shaft and creating a vacuum therein which actsto draw the liquid from an intake receiver with which the shaft isconnected, while the terminal ends of the arms are adapted to beequipped with suitable nozzles, such as the disc, air-cup, ilit type ofspray heads.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a sprayapparatus as hereinbefore characterized, wherein a fan or propeller ismounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, the same being positionedrearwardly of the spray arms a sucient distance that the latter will inno way impede the air-iiow over the surfaces of its blades, and the whipof the air by the spray arms and the creation of a vacuum by them,during the rotation of the assembly, will act to prevent any unduedeposit of the liquid on the latter.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, theinvention resides in the certain new and useful combination,construction, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, set forth in the appended claim, and illustrated in the.accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of a practicalembodiment of my spray apparatus;

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section, taken through the line 2 2on Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view.

My invention, as it is exemplified in the drawing, is comprised in ahollow shaft I0, journalled intermediate its ends in roller bearings I2,which are mounted in ,a substantially cylindrical hous- 1 Claim. (CI.261,-.-88)` ing I4 having laterally oifset lugs I6 to receive suitablefastenings (not shown), such as bolts or' the like, for securement to astationary or a, mobileframework (not shown). An annular chamber IE isformed within the housing I4, about the roller bearings i2, to retain alubricant in contact therewith.

Mounted on the housing I4 is a substantially U-shaped yoke 20, which hasits parallel legs ribbed, as at 22, on their inner sidesand engaged ingrooves 24, formed in the outer surface of the heus-ing, substantiallyas shown. y

The bight end of the yoke 20 is provided with an outwardly extendingreceiver or intake chamber 26, which opens through the yoke end tocommunicate with the bore extending forwardly through the shaft Il), therear end of the latter being provided with a bearing collar or flangeI0', seated within the opening of the 'chamber and heldin place by apacking nut 28. Keyed on the shaft I0, within the yoke 2i), is a groovedpulley or sheave 30, driven by the belt drive of the shaft from asuitable prime mover (not shown). lf a direct drive of the shaft isdesired, its rear end may be extended entirely through the receiver 26,for the coupling of its free end to the prime mover, in which case,however, the portion of the shaft within the receiver will be providedwith radial openings to establish communication between the shaft boreand the interior of the receiver, as is well understood by those skilledin the art. A hose connection or the like 26 opens into the receiver 26through its side wall, for the connection thereto of a source of supplyof the liquid to be sprayed from the apparatus.

Keyed on the front end of the shaft I0, immediately beyond the front endof the bearing housing I2, is the hub of a fan or propeller 32, whileradiating from the extreme front end of the shaft, in spaced relationwith respect to the fan, is a series of hollow arms 34, three beingshown to correspond to the number of blades of the fan or propeller 32,between which they are centered, substantially as shown. The ducts,extending through the arms 34, have their inner ends opening into ahollow hub 34', which is in communication with the bore of the shaft I0,while their outer ends open into suitable nozzles or spray heads 36, thelatter, as before stated, preferably taking the form of the disc,air-cup, ilit type. As shown in Figure 1, the outer end portion of eachof the arms 34 is preferably given a slight bend or lean in thedirection opposite to the direction of rotation of the fan-shaft`assembly, so as to effect an appreciable increase in the pressure ofdischarge, i. e., atomizing, of liquid from the nozzles or spray heads36, and a stronger suction effect created Within the arm ducts and thebore of the shaft.

In operation of the centrifuge as it is thus constructed and arranged,the sheave 30 will be belted to a power drive and upon rotation of theshaft l and the arms 34, the centrifugal force generated within the armscreates a vacuum, i. e., suction, in the bore of the shaft, which drawsthe liquid from the receiver 26 and forces it outward through thenozzles 36. An air-vacuum brake valve 38 is provided at the receiver 26and is' adjustable to vary the ow of the liquid from the receiver intothe bore of the shaft I0. The centrifuge is capable of operating at anyhorizontal or vertical angle and its operation in the vertical plane islimited only by the greatest angle of depression or elevation at whichthe.

power drive, i. e., prime mover, will function eiciently.

Inactual practice with the apparatus, operavtional speeds of from 1000to 4000 R. P. M., of the shaft, fan, and spray arm assembly, have been.found to produce sprays ranging from rain droplet effects to the nestmist, lwith application distances up to 400 feet, without wind and up to700 feet, or better, with a fair Wind-drift. By positioningthe spraynozzles 36 in centered relation with respect to the adjacent ian blades,forwardly thereof and well toward the tips of the same, the liquid isdischarged in a direction substantially tangential to, the circular pathof the blade tips and into the air stream where its velocity isgreatest. The liquid intake connection 26', of the receiver 26, providesfor its attachment, by asuitable lengthof flexible hose or the like (notshown) to a drum, tank, or other suitable container, of a capacityto'hold a fair supply of the liquid to be employed. By spacing .thesprayarms 34, together Withthe nozzles 36,

forwardly of the fan 32, the discharged liquid is 4 caught by the airstream and blasted away from contact with the blades of the fan, so thatdeposit of the liquid on the latter, or the bearing housing i4, isprevented.

What I claim is A spray apparatus comprising a hollow housing having apair of aligned apertures in the opposite sides thereof, a rotatablehollow shaft projecting through said apertures and journalledintermediate its ends within said housing, a plurality of spacedatomizing nozzles secured to one end of said shaft and spaced from saidhousing, each of said nozzles being in communication with the interiorof said hollow shaft, a fan secured to said shaft intermediate saidhousing and said nozzles and spaced from the latter, means secured tosaid shaft for connection to a source of power for rotating said shaft,and means carried by said housing adjacent the other end of said shaftfor connecting the latter to a supply of fluid spraying material, saidlast mentioned means comprising a yoke with the legs thereof positionedin embracing relation with respect to the adjacent end of said housingand secured to the latter, the bight of said yoke being positionedadjacent said other end of said shaft and being provided with a receiverchamber, said receiver chamber being in communication with the shaftadjacent thereto and to a supply of fluid spraying material.

CLAUDE ROSCOE STRIICKLAND` REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 820,247 Nordensson May 8, 19061,098,389 Lister June 2, i914 1,586,997 Hull June 1, 1926 1,883,456Ashley Oct. 18, 1932

